Meet the Artist, See the Dog
How does a great design communicate effectively to people? Great design moves people. In some way it touches a chord, compels them to action or causes a shift. It’s illuminating, thought-provoking and meaningful. The best examples of this inspire people and bring their own individual understanding to a new place that allows for an altering or solidifying of current perspectives.
From a recent interview by the Creative Action Network on design, art, posters, and process. Read the full article »
In Person
In the day-to-day, the foundational method of communication is email. From there, Slack for easy workflow messaging back and forth, Hangouts (or Skype) for video calls, and a host of design tools for iterating and feedback. And there’s the almighty phone to talk it all through. These are all so key. But when appropriately timed, the in-person meeting does reign supreme. (When poorly timed, the only thing being in person is good for is a high five.) Being present, in human form, free from screens, echoes, or freeze ups, is where everyone realizes we’re all just people trying to create something together. We feel the energy, understand the stakes, and can get into each other’s rhythm. When this happens, the emails, hangouts, and phone calls hum along at a steadier clip. It can be easy to keep it all digital because it seems more efficient. But we must never forget, when the need arises, when harmony is the goal, the in-person approach is the best way to go.
Coworking
To this point, the office for JKDC has been in my home. This week, however, that is no longer the case. I’m now in a flashy new coworking space with the fabulous Jake Welchert of Obama for America and Coolhouse Labs fame. It’s in Dundee, right next to the Dell. Amsterdam’s is just around the corner. (BOOM!) Jake has put together a truly inspirational space that I am lucky, and so excited, to be part of. We’ll be making it a home for design, development, and collaboration in midtown Omaha. Good things are coming, because you know we’ll be branding the shit outta this thing. They’ll be shared here. If you want to stop by, hit me up. In the meantime, there’ll be plenty of Twitter banter if you’re interested. Godspeed.
Working Not Working
Was recently invited to a lovely site called Working Not Working. (Thank you Chris!) An invite-only community of the best talent in the creative industry, my profile is up and ready for whatever happens next. My hope is that it becomes useful in some way and doesn’t just fade off into the ether, which has happened before with other creative communities. Time will tell I suppose. At first pass, it feels appropriate and needed, and the setup process was fairly enjoyable. Sites like this help me feel a little more connected and part of a network of other folks dealing with similar ups and downs in the workings of design independence. For that, thank you WNW.
Repeating
Talk about this without talking about this. See where this could go. Look at it from the other side of the room. And up side down. Try to look at it while not being in the room. Imagine it without the confines of physicality. It doesn’t have to be where it’s at. It can be somewhere else. It is okay if it’s something. It is okay if it’s nothing. Let’s call it “Removed Assessment in Objective Notation.”
Off and Running
And here we go. 2015 is in full effect. The downtime was amazing and now the sleeves are rolled up and we’re back at it. The next couple of months are sure to be interesting. To track progress, shots will be Dribbbled, some projects will be Behanced, and Action Backed will be Tumbling. This blog will get its steady use while Medium could see some longer writings. And, of course, new work will be added to this portfolio. So many accounts, so little time. Here’s to sharing and being open about what works, what fails, and how we grow and change.
